10,000+
Adults trained
Individuals equipped with in-demand tech and workforce skills
November 14, 2026 · 5:00PM - 10:00PM · Winter Park Events Center
Brilliance in Orbit: The Diamond Decade Gala
Celebrating ten years of building opportunity through technology, entrepreneurship, and workforce development.
$125K+Fundraising goal
10Years of impact
Nov 14, 20265:00PM - 10:00PM · Winter Park, FL
A milestone moment
Ten years of impact — the next decade starts now
For ten years, Building Our Tech has been a transformative force across Central Florida — helping individuals learn in-demand skills, launch businesses, navigate career transitions, and access real economic opportunity. What began as a bold vision has grown into a regional movement.
Brilliance in Orbit is more than a gala. It is a declaration that the best is yet to come. Every sponsorship, every table, and every gift is an investment in the next decade of workforce development, entrepreneurship, and economic mobility.
A decade of results
Our impact by the numbers
Ten years of commitment to building opportunity across Central Florida — one person, one business, one career at a time.
300+
Career transitions
Professionals who pivoted into higher-paying, high-demand roles
50+
Businesses launched
Entrepreneurs who turned ideas into thriving enterprises
50+
Corporate partners
Organizations investing in talent and community development
$2M+
Economic value created
Measurable impact generated across the regional economy
10
Years of service
A decade of dedication to economic mobility and access
The road here
Ten years, milestone by milestone
From a single meetup in a borrowed room to a regional ecosystem — the moments that got us here.
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Nov 2016
First BOT meetup.
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Aug 2018
Awarded an Orlando Tech Community Support Pilot Program grant.
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Aug 2018
Began giving back to the community — raised funds and purchased school supplies for students at Robinswood Middle.
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Oct 2018
Joined ten other tech groups with Orlando Tech to pack 7,500 meals for Feeding Children Everywhere.
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Jan 2019
First dinner with the Google Devs team, beginning a partnership with the local Google developer community that continues today.
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Feb 2019
First collaboration with the Zora Neale Hurston Festival and Tech Sassy Girlz.
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Feb 2019
Media coverage from Fox 35 and the Orlando Business Journal.
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Aug 2019
Officially recognized as a nonprofit organization on 12 August.
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Aug 2019
First international speaker.
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Mar 2020
Tech Refresh Project for the Wells’Built Museum.
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Feb 2021
Orange County partnership and funding.
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Mar 2021
Orlando Economic Partnership, Fiverr, and City of Orlando partnership and funding.
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Sep 2022
Addition Financial partnership and funding.
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Oct 2024
Largest amount awarded at a pitch competition to date — $17,500 split between three BOT founders.
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Mar 2025
Tech Founder Showcase — more than $2M in funding raised by founders.
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Sep 2025
ScaleUp — first one-day business conference.
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Jan 2026
Renamed from Black Orlando Tech to Building Our Tech — members, founders, mentors, and speakers now come from across the United States and internationally.
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Apr 2026
SIGNATURE — Orlando’s creative business summit, designed for founders, creators, and builders.
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Jun 2026
Launchpad Liftoff pitch competition — $10,000 awarded to one BOT founder.
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Nov 2026
Brilliance in Orbit — the first gala, celebrating ten years of access, innovation, and tech ecosystem growth.
How we grew
A decade, in photographs
Meetups in borrowed rooms, workshops, festival tents, partner studios and founder showcases — ten years of the work as it actually looked.
2016–2018
Borrowed rooms, campus visits and panel nights.
2019–2020
Community awareness, corporate partnerships, and giving back.
2021–2023
Founder showcases, financial backing and innovation challenges.
2024–2025
Hands-on workshops, $17,500 pitch prize and the first one-day conference.
Where the money goes
What your investment makes possible
Every dollar contributed flows directly into programming. Here is what different levels of giving accomplish.
$5,000
Technology workforce training
Supports workforce workshops and career readiness programming that put individuals on a path to tech careers.
$10,000
Career readiness & entrepreneurship education
Supports a full technology workforce cohort and expands entrepreneurship education for aspiring founders.
$15,000
Founder support & scholarships
Expands founder and entrepreneurship programming and funds community scholarships for deserving participants.
$25,000+
Professional development at scale
Helps power workforce and entrepreneurship pathways at scale, creating broader regional economic impact.
Evening program
An evening of celebration, connection, and impact
Join leaders, innovators, founders, executives, and community champions for an evening honoring the people and organizations shaping our region’s future.
Cocktail Reception
Mingle with Central Florida’s most influential leaders over curated drinks and conversation.
Plated Dinner & Hosted Open Bar (21+)
A seated dinner service with a hosted open bar for guests aged 21 and over.
Awards Celebration
Honoring trailblazers and champions who have shaped a decade of opportunity.
Silent Auction
Bid on exclusive experiences and items while supporting the mission directly.
Mission Moment
A powerful look at the stories and lives transformed over the past ten years.
Live Entertainment
DJ Darryl J sets the ambience — and it wouldn’t be a party without dancing.
Art Installation
An installation from Time Capsule For The Culture, on view through the evening.
Luxury Magazine Photo Box
Take unique, fun photos with your friends and community, from Youniquely Me Creations.
Event vendors
Who’s bringing the evening to life
The food, the music, the art and the photographs on the night come from people who build this kind of evening for a living.
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John Michael Catering
Cocktail reception and plated dinner
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DJ Darryl J
Music
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Time Capsule For The Culture
Art installation
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Youniquely Me Creations
Luxury Magazine Photo Box
The venue
Where the evening happens
Brilliance in Orbit takes place at the Winter Park Events Center — arched concrete, floor-to-ceiling glass, and a main hall that opens onto the lawns. Here is the space before the tables are dressed.
Tickets
Attend the gala
Individual tickets include the cocktail reception, the plated dinner and the full evening program. Sponsorships start further down the page, from a $2,500 table for eight.
Early Bird Gala Ticket
The complete gala experience at early pricing — cocktail reception, plated dinner, awards, entertainment and the silent auction. Early pricing ends October 14, 2026.
Reserve — Early Bird Gala TicketGeneral Admission Gala Ticket
Admission for one guest, including cocktail hour, dinner, program, and celebration.
Reserve — General Admission Gala TicketCollege Student Ticket
Available to currently enrolled college or university students with a valid student ID at check-in. Includes access to the full gala experience, dinner, networking, and program. Limited quantity available.
Reserve — College Student TicketWho attends
Who will be in the room
A chance to align your brand with the leaders driving innovation, economic growth, and workforce development throughout Central Florida.
- Corporate executives
- Financial institutions
- Government officials
- Workforce development leaders
- Technology leaders
- Healthcare organizations
- Economic development partners
- Startup founders & investors
- Building Our Tech alumni
2026 sponsorship menu
Sponsorship opportunities
Every sponsorship directly supports workforce training, entrepreneurship education, and community impact across Central Florida. Open any level to see what it includes.
| Level | Investment | Availability | Status | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Decade Presenting Partner | $35,000 | 1 available | Exclusive | |
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The highest level of recognition at the gala. Co-branded leadership at its finest — your brand woven into every moment of the evening.
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| Galaxy Partner | $25,000 | 2 available | Premier | |
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A cornerstone partnership positioning your organization as a leading force behind the Diamond Decade Gala.
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| Workforce Champion Sponsor | $15,000 | 2 available | Premier | |
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A mid-tier partnership aligning your brand directly with BOT’s core mission of workforce development and career advancement.
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| Leadership Sponsor | $10,000 | 2 available | Open | |
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Premier visibility across the evening with reserved VIP seating and stage recognition.
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| Signature Experience Sponsorships | $5,000 – $7,500 | 4 available | Open | |
| Innovation Sponsor | $5,000 | 8 available | Open | |
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Strong visibility and a reserved table, at the most accessible full-sponsorship level.
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| Table Sponsor | $2,500 | 6 available | Open | |
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Bring your team for the evening and be recognized in the program.
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Exclusive activations
Signature experience sponsorships
Four opportunities to own a defining moment of the evening.
Signature activation
Cocktail Reception Sponsor
Become the exclusive sponsor of the evening’s networking experience and opening celebration.
Signature activation
Awards Experience Sponsor
Align your brand with recognition, achievement, and the celebration of impact.
Signature activation
Photo & Media Experience Sponsor
Sponsor the official photo experience, media moments, and social sharing throughout the evening.
Signature activation
Entertainment Sponsor
Power the energy of the evening through entertainment, celebration, and attendee engagement.
Every Signature Experience Sponsor receives exclusive activation branding, event signage, program recognition, website recognition, social media recognition, and verbal acknowledgment during the gala.
Ten years. One community. Infinite futures.
Access to technology, entrepreneurship and career opportunity should not be determined by zip code, background, or circumstance. The Diamond Decade Gala is our celebration of that belief.
Invest in the next decade
Ways to give
Whether through a sponsorship, a silent auction bid, or a personal contribution, every investment helps create lasting pathways to opportunity.
Corporate sponsorships
Align your brand with a decade of impact and the next generation of innovation across our region.
Strategic partnerships
Join a growing ecosystem of organizations committed to workforce equity and economic mobility.
Silent auction
Bid on curated experiences and items while making a direct contribution to the mission.
Voluntary giving
Every gift, at any level, helps build pathways to opportunity for those who need it most.
Who funds the work
Funding partners
Ten years of programming has been underwritten by organizations that chose to invest in Central Florida talent.
Current funding partners
Past funding partners
The Central Florida ecosystem
Who we’ve worked alongside
None of this happened in isolation. Over ten years we have collaborated, co-hosted, shared rooms and swapped audiences with organizations right across Central Florida — coworking spaces and innovation hubs, chambers of commerce, universities, recruiting firms, community groups, sports teams, museums and festivals, small businesses, and some of the largest employers in the region. Some of them no longer exist. The work still counts.
- 8 Cents in a Jar
- Accesso
- African American Chamber of Commerce
- AIGA Orlando
- BBIF
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Black Health Commission
- Canvs Parramore
- Catalyst Co-Working Space
- Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
- Data Swale
- Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
- EA Sports
- Enterprising Black Orlando
- Envy Labs
- Eola View
- Event Video Partners
- Google Developer Group
- Great Southern Box Company
- HBCUForce
- Indienomicon
- Informulate
- Kforce
- Massey Services
- National Entrepreneurship Center
- Nerd Nite Orlando
- Orlando Developers (ODEVS)
- Orlando Game Space
- Orlando Innovate
- Orlando Innovation League (OIL)
- Orlando Magic
- Otronicon, Orlando Science Center
- Peete Learning
- Phoenix Capital Solutions
- PlugandPlay
- Radix Innovation Capital
- Route 7 Orlando
- Salesforce
- Sideward Brewing
- Space Happy Hour
- Starter Studio
- Startup Weekend Orlando (SWORL)
- StickerPrintGo
- Synapse Florida
- Tech Sassy Girlz
- TekSystems
- The Conduit
- The Grape & Grain
- Tillman Bros
- UCF Black Faculty & Student Association
- UCF Blackstone LaunchPad
- Wells’Built Museum
- Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship
- Women on the Rise
- Zora Neale Hurston Festival
Listed alphabetically, and deliberately incomplete — ten years of showing up in the same rooms involves more people than any one page can hold. If we have worked together and you are not here, tell us and we will put that right.
FAQ
Gala questions
When and where is the Diamond Decade Gala?
Saturday, November 14, 2026, 5:00PM - 10:00PM, at the Winter Park Events Center in Winter Park, Florida.
What is the gala raising money for?
The fundraising goal is $125,000 or more. Proceeds fund technology workforce training, career readiness programming, entrepreneurship education, and community scholarships across Central Florida.
Who attends?
Corporate executives, government officials, technology leaders, economic development partners, startup founders and investors, financial institutions, workforce development leaders, healthcare organizations, and Building Our Tech alumni.
How much is a ticket?
An Early Bird ticket is $100 through October 14, 2026; general admission is $150. Both cover the cocktail hour, dinner, program and celebration. A $75 College Student Ticket is available in limited quantity to currently enrolled college or university students, who should bring a valid student ID to check-in; it includes the full gala experience, dinner, networking and program.
What sponsorship levels are available?
Sponsorships run from a $2,500 Table Sponsor through to the $35,000 Diamond Decade Presenting Partner, plus four Signature Experience activations — reach out to learn more about those.
What happens during the evening?
A cocktail reception, a plated dinner with a hosted open bar for guests 21 and over, an awards celebration, a silent auction, a mission moment, and live entertainment.
How do I sponsor or buy a table?
Contact Safia Porter at safia@buildingourtech.org or Emily Walker at emily@buildingourtech.org, or reserve online.
Reserve your sponsorship
Let’s build the next decade together
Reserve your sponsorship today and be part of a night that changes lives.
Safia PorterExecutive Director
safia@buildingourtech.org
Emily WalkerExperience & Operations Strategist
emily@buildingourtech.org